Friday, February 09, 2007

EXCLUSIVE: Johnson Campaign Hits the Wrong Key

A real masterstroke from Alan Johnson's deputy leadership campaign team this afternoon. They managed to distribute full details of their e-mail list to all Parliamentary staff who had signed up to receive information on the campaign. His opponents now have the name of every MP who has signed up to receive details from his campaign... presumably the vast majority of them being supporters.

UPDATE: The email list seems to include not just supporters, but people who have signed up to receive emails, including journalists... Among the names on the list are Michael Cashman, Bob Ainsworth MP, PR man Stuart Bruce, David Clelland, Brenda Dean and Frank Field.

I'm off to 'Political Betting' for a moment, to see who is next in line for a bit of 'bad luck'.

It is difficult to compare this to the Sopranos, as I don't even Brown could have arranged to kybosh the contest more effectively than the candidates themselves. Unless there is a 'quisling' in the ranks of the 'supporters'.

Although I'm not convinced that the 'Harman' gaffe has scuppered her chances - she seems determined to play a game of 'chicken' with the Attorney General over whether he should publish any advice he gives over cash for questions charges.

Hmm.. Of course, they could have sent the email list out 'accidentally' on the basis that 'my list is bigger than yours' in a cynical attempt to build a 'bandwagon effect' - then again politicians would never do any thing like that..

Iain, perhaps there should be a special 'hat-trick hall of fame' when the inevitable third cock-up of this type happens, listing those people clearly so anxious to curry favour with the latent deputy leadership that they have registered their support with at least 3 candidates..